Fish unscrewing tool



Nov. 1, 1932. R. A. PHILLIPS `FISH UNSGREWING TOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Sept. 30. 1930 W nl.

f4 T fak/Vex Nov. l, 1932. R. A. PHILLIPS FISH UNSCREWING TOOL Filed sept. 30, 195o 2 sheets-sheet [MM5/vra@ @f1/ PH 4. HMM/Ps,

Patented Nov. 1, 1932 4UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FISH UNSCREWING TOOL Application filed September 30, 1930. Serial No. 485,344.

My invention relates to accessories einployed in the drilling of wells and relates in particular to a device for unscrewing and removing from a well portions of drill pipe,

5 or other tubing, which have been lost therein.

In the rotary method of well drilling it is customary tobore ahole by the use of a drilling tool secured to the lower end of a string of drill pipe. Breakage of the drill pipe resuits in the portion of the drill pipe and the drilling tool being lost in the well and before drilling of the well can be properly proceeded with, it is necessary to remove the lost drill pipe by the operation commonly known as fishing. The fish or part lost in the well may consist of a drilling tool and a considerable length of drill pipe. As soon as breakage of the drill pipe occurs, the circulation o-f the drilling fluid in the well stops and the o drilling mud and cuttings contained therein settle in the well aro-und the drill pipe so as to tightly bind the drill pipe and drilling tool in the well, so that even if the upper end thereof is engaged by the fish tool, it is impossible 5 to remove the whole fish from the well. It therefore becomes necessary to wash around the upper part of the fish and remove it in sections, a common method of removal being to cut off the portion of the fish which has been exposed by washing by the use of an overshot cutting off tool.

Another method of fishing is to lower a tap on the lower end of a string of left-hand drill pipe, and by insertion of the tap in theupper end of the fish to unscrew a portion of the fish by rotating the drill pipe in left-hand direction. In view of the fact that standard drill pipe is made up of right hand threads, the use of a left-hand tap requires that a complete string of left-hand threaded drill pipe be obtained, which is generally expensive and causes considerable delay.

My invention comprehends a fish unscrewing device which may be used on the lower end of standard right-hand drill pipe, and is so constructed that it will unscrew right-hand threaded joints of a fish.

It is an object of my invention to provide a device of the 'above character having a tap holder and mechanism for rotating the tap holder in left-hand direction when the drill pipe by which the device is suspended in the well is rotated in-right-hand direction.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an unscrewing device of the above character having an upwardly extending shaft and a downwardly extending shaft with gear means disposed between the shafts adapted to produce a rearward rotation of the downwardly extending shaft when therupwardly 6 extending shaft is rotated forwardly, and an anchor for preventing rotation of the supporting structure of the gear means.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for anchoring the supporting structure to a lower portion of the fish.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above character having means for gripping a lower part of a fish, this gripping means being selectively actuated after the device has been lowered over the fish and the tap thereof is in position for engagement with the uppe-r end of the fish.

In the preferred practice of the invention I provide a tubular member which extends downwardly from the gear mechanism so as to surround the upper end ofthe fish and which extends down 50 to 100 feet beyond the upper end of the fish so that the anchorage means of the device may engage the fish ata point below its upper end and at a point below the oint at which it is desired to unscrew the fish. The unscrewing device is also equipped so that it may serve as a washover tool for washing out the mud and cuttings which have settled around the portion of the. fish to be unscrewed. rIhe tubular member which extends downwardly from the gear mechanism and supports the anchor at its lower end is made up of joints of pipe so that its length, and consequently the length of the portion'of the fish to be unscrewed may be varied to suit the operating conditions encountered.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be made evident hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings which are for illustrative purposes only,

' Fig. l is a schematic sectional view of a well 1 showing my invention in use.

Fig. 2 is a partly sectioned elevational view showing the details of the upper portion of my new fish unscrewing tool.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section showing the lower portion of the tool during the placing of the tool in position for engaging and unscrewing the upper portion of the fish.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but sho wing the aws of the anchor member in engagement with a lower portion of the fish.

Fig. 5 is a view showing the lower portion of the device during the raising` of the unscrewed portion of the fish fromthe'well.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross section on the plane represented by the line 6 6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross section on a plane represented by the line 7-7 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the aws of the anchor member.

Fig. 9 is a cross section on a sented by the line 9-9 of Fig. 2.

Illustrative of the general use of my invention, I show in Fig. 1 a well 11 in which a drill bit 12 and a portion of the string of drill pipe 13 have been lost due to breakage of the drill pipe at an intermediate point in the well. The drill pipe will often break at quite a distance above the drill bit so that a considerable length of drill pipe is left in the well. My new unscrewing device 14 makes it possible to unscrew and remove the drill pipe in sections without the use of a cuttingoff tool for the reason that my device is adapted to separate the drill pipe by unscrewing certain joints thereof.

In Fig. 2, I show the unscrewing device drawn to an enlarged scale, and in this ligure I show the unscrewing device in engagement with the fish consisting of the drill pipe 13. The unscrewing device 14 includes a gear supporting structure, or gear case 15, from which an upper shaft member 16 upwardly extends and from which a lower shaft member 17 downwardly extends. The upper and lower shaft members 16 and 17 are preferably axially aligned and are respectively rotatable in journals 18 and 20. On the inner ends of the shaft members 16 and 17 bevel gears 21 and 22 are secured. Idler bevel plane repregears 23 are mounted on radial axes in such position that they will rotatively connect the bevel gears 21 and 22 in such a manner that rotation of the upper shaft member 16 will result in a rotation of the lower shaft member 17 in opposite direction. The upper end of the upper shaft member 16 is provided with a joint or threaded pin 24 to which an operating drill pipe 25 may be secured. The threads of the pin 24 are forward or righthand in direction to agree with the righthand threads customarily employed in the joints of a drill pipe. On the lower end of the lower shaft member an engager is provided in the form of a tap 26 having rearwardly directed or left-hand threads so that this tap will screw into the upper end 27 of the fish 13, and through left-hand rotation will cause a joint below the upper end of the fish to unscrew so as to release a section of the drill pipe or lish 13 and permit it to be raised from the well. By means of my device right-hand rotation of the supporting drill pipes 25 accomplishes lefthand rotation of the tap 26 and unscrewing of ri 'ht-hand threaded joints in the lish 13. r.lhis reversal of, rotation is accomplished through the gear mechanism contained in the gear case 15 when the gear case held stationary by means of an anchor which is adapted to secure the gear case to some stationary object in the well.

In the preferred practice of my invention I employ an anchor 30 which consists of a. gripping member 31 secured at the lower end of a tubular member 32 which extends downwardly from the gear case 15 and around the shaft 17 and the upper portion of the fish 13.

In Figs. 3, 4, and 5, the gripping member 31 is shown in section and consists of a tubular body 33 having an opening- 34 of suflicient size to pass over couplings or tool joints 36 in the drill pipe or fish 13. rlhe tubular body 33 has a plurality of dove-tailed ways or channels 37 cut in the inner face thereof, which converge from bottom to top.

As shown in Figs. 3 to. 6 inclusive, vertical openings 38 are provided in the tubular body 33 between each of the channels 37 and the outer surface of the member the channels 37 and the vertical openings 38 being .eparated by walls 40. At a point near the lower end of each vertical opening 38, a radial opening 41 is provided in the wall 40. A plurality of jaw members 42, such as shown in Fig. 8, are provided, these jaw members having expanded or dove-tailed base portions 43. The base portions 43 are extended above the body portions 44 of the aw members 42 so as to form upper extensions, or dogs 45, and project downwardly so as to provide lower extensions, or dogs 46. The channels 37 are provided with dove-tailed or expanded bottom portions 47 adapted to receive the bases 43 of the jaw members 42, and inwardly from the expanded portions 47 parallel side walls 48 extend, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

In Fig. 5, the jaw members 42 are shown in the channels 37 iu an intermediate position and in Fig. 4 these jaw members 42 are shown in raised position in contact fith the surface of the drill pipe or fish 13. Springs 50 are placed in the lower portions of the channels 37 and are held therein by a cap ring 51. Preparatory to lowering the unscrewing device into the well, the jaw members 42 are forced downwardly, compressing the spring 50, and the bases 43 of the jaw members are forced through the openings 41 into the adjacent portions of the vertical openings 33,

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as shown in Fig. o. For the purpose of permitting the jaw members to be latched in retracted position as shown in Fig. 3, the openings are made slightly longer than the body portions il et the jaw members 42. In passing the bases 43 of the jaw members Ll2 'hrough the openings d1, the jaw members are moved into the openings L.t1 in inclined positions, as indicated by dotted lines 53 in F 3, and the lower extensions d6 of the bases are inserted in the lower end portions or pockets 54e of the vertical openings 3S and are hooked over the short walls 55 adjacent toV the pockets 54. The upper extensions l l5 are then moved through the openings il1 into the vertical openings 38 and are hooled under the lower ends 56 of the walls -lO so as to be in position to be engaged by the lower ends 57 ot unlatching lingers 58 which extend downwardly through the openings 38 and are connectcd to a rictionally operated actuating means 59 which consists of upper and lower ring members 60 and 61 connected by bow springs 62, which are of such shape that they will rictionally engage the drill pipe or lish 13. lt will be noted that the extensions d6 ar substantially twice the vertical length ol the extensions and that the openings Lll are longer vertically than the body portions llot the jaw members Aft2, the length of the openings 41 being equal to the length of the body portions Lll plus the length ot the upper extensions l5. The springs hold the j aw members in raised positions, such as clearly shown in Fig. 3. llVhen it is desired to release the jaw members so that they will engage the fish 13, the lingers 58 will move downwardly so that they will in turn force the jaw members downwardly `and will force the upper ends ot the jaw members outwardly through the openings l1 due to the Yfact that the lower ends 57 or" the lingers 58 and the upper ends ot the extensions l5 are cooperatively bevelled, as shown at Gil in Fig. 3.

During the lowering of the gripping member 31 over the upper end of the ti'sh 13, the bow springs 62 are urged relatively upwardly so that the ring is held in engagement with a stop 65 formed on the inner face ol' the tubular member Therefore, as long as the unscrewing device is not moved upwardly, the lingers 53 will be retained in raised positions, and the jaw members 1-2 will be held in retracted positions, such as shown in Fig. 3. lhen the tap 26 engages the upper end 27 of the lish 13 and it is then desired to anchor the gea-r case 15 so that the drill pipe may be rotated in righthand direction and the lett-hand tap 26 may be caused to screw into the upper end of the iish, the unscrewing device ill is raised so as to cause the lingers 53 to release the jaw members 4,-2, this release of the aw members being due to the iact that the spring bows 62 tend to hold the fingers 53 and the jaw members 42 stationary while the tubular body 33 is moved upwardly. Vhen the opening 41 has moved upwardly a sufficient distance to clear the upper extensions l5 of the jaw members 42, the jaw members will move outwardly into the channels 37 and will be forced upwardly tl' erein by the springs 50 until the aw memrs Vl2 engage the drill pipe or iish 13. By then lowering the unscrewing device, the jaw members l2 may be securely wedged against l l l pipe 13 in a manner to prevent rotathe d., I tion of the gripping member 31 and also to prevent rotation of the gear case 15. By use oi' a rotary 75, as shown in Fig. 1, the supporting` drill pipe 25 is rotated in righthand direction and a shear pin 76 which extends through the upper portion of the gear case 15 into engagement with Athe upper shaft 16 is sheared I ofi, permitting the subsequent right-hand rotation oil the supporting drill pipe to produce left-hand rotation et the downwardly extending shaft member 17. Thislet-hand rota-tion of the downwardly extending shalt member 17 causes the lefthand tap 26 to screw into the upper end 27 As soon as the resistance to of the iish 13. the cutting action of the tap 26 exceeds the rictional resistance ot a threaded joint in the iish 13, such joint will be broken and the portion of the lish above such joint will be un- .crewed By raising the unscrewing device, the disconnected upper portion of the sh may be carried to the top of the well'.

The tubular member 32 is composed of individual lengths oit pipe secured together in sutlieient number to give the desired overlap of the lish 13. For instance, it may be desired to wash over and remove 200 feet oi the lish at a time. ln order to do this, the tubular extension 32 is made up from pipe of su'tlicient length to give approximately 20() feet extension beyond the tap 26. The anchor or gripping member 31 is secured to the lower end of the stringof pipe forming the tubular member As shown in Figs. 2 and 9, l include a slip joint 8O in the upper portion of the tubular member 32, this slip joint consisting of a downwardly projecting annular wall 81 having vertical slots S2 cut in the inner 'tace thereof and adapted to be engaged by ribs 83 formed on an inner sleeve member Si, the upper portion of which is held in the annular wall 31 by means of a ring nut 85. The lower end of the sleeve member 3l is threaded, as indicated at 86, so that the remaining portion ot' the tubularl member 32 may be secured thereto by means of a coupling 37. A spring 8S acting in compression between the lower wall of the gear case 15 and the upper end of the sleeve member 34: tends to hold the sleeve member 8l in its lowest position. Tie purpose of the slip oint 30 is to permit the gear case 15 and the parts connected thereto, such as the lower shaft member 17, to move downwardly relaiso tive to the gripping device 31 while the tap QG is screwed into the upper end 27 of the fish 13.

The upper shaft member 1G has a circulation passage 91 therein and is equipped with tube S2 which extends downwardly into a passage 9a in the upper end of the lower siiaft member l?, there being packing around the' lower end of the tube 92, as indicated at 95. During the lowering of the unscrewing device over the upper end of the fish, water or other fiuid is circulated by means of standard pumping equipment 9G, down through the supporting drill pipe 25, the passage Ul, tube 92, the passage 94, and the interior of the anchor means 30 so as to produce a liow, as indicated by arrows 97 in Fig. 2, and wash out the settled rotary mud and cuttings 98, which have collected around, and which prevent removal of the fish f3 and drill bit l secured to the lower end thereof.

Herein l have described my invention in simple form, but it is known that certain of the parts or elements thereof may be replaced by other parts or elements which will operate in substantially the saine n'ianner to give substantially equivalent results; therefore, the invention is not limited to the details of this disclosure, but has the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A fish unscrewing device of the character described, including: a gear case adapted to cuter a well; an upper shaft projecting upwardly from said gear case; a lower shaft projecting downwardly from said gear case; an engager on the lower end of said lower shaft for engaging the fish; an anchor connected to said gear case for preventing rota.- tion of said gear case, said anchor comprising a hollow structure having engaging means therein; and gear means operatively positioned relative to said gear case and connecting said upper and lower shafts in such a manner that forward rotation of one shaft will result in reverse rotation of the other shaft.

2. A fish unscrewing device of the character described, including: a gear case adapted to enter a well an upper shaft projecting upwardly from said gear case; a lower shaft projecting downwardly from said gear case; an engager on the lower end of said lower shaft for engaging the upper end of the fish; an anchor connected to said gear oase, said anchor extending down over the upper portion of said fish and engaging a lower part of said fish and preventing rotation of said gear case; and gear means operatively positioned relative to said gear case and connecting said upp and lower shafts in such a manner that forward rotation of one shaft will result in reverse rotation of the other shaft.

3. A fish unscrewing device of the character described, including: a gear case adapted to enter a well; an upper shaft projecting upwardly from said gear case; a lower shaft projecting downwardly from said gear case; a tap on the lower end of said lower shaft for engaging the fish; an anchor connected to said gear case for preventing rotation of said gear case, said anchor comprising al hollow structure having engaging means therein, and gear means operatively positioned relative to said gear case and connecting said upper and lower shafts in such a manner that forward rotation of one shaft will result in reverse rotation of the other shaft.

4. A fish unscrewing device of the characier described, including: a gear case adapted to enter a well; an upper shaft projecting upwardly from said gear case; a. lower shaft projecting downwardly from said gear case; a tap on the lower end of said lower shaft for engaging the upper end of the fish; an anchor connected to said gear case, said anchor cxtending down over the upper portion of said fish and engaging a lower part of said fish and preventing rotation of said gear case; and gear means operatively positioned relative to said gear case and connecting said upper and lower shafts in such a manner that forward rotation of one shaft will result in reverse rotation of the other shaft.

5. A fish unscrewing device of the character described, including: a gear case adapted to enter a well.; an upper shaft projecting upwardly from said gear case, said upper shaft having a forwardly threaded connection; a lower shaft projecting downwardly from said gear case; an engager on the lower end of said lower shaft for engaging the upper end of the fish, said engager being adapted to transmit rearward rotation to said fish; an anchor connected to said gear case, said anchor extending down over the upper portion of said fish and engaging a lower part of said fish and preventing rotation of said gear case; and gear means operatively positioned relative to said gear case and connecting said upper and lower shafts in such a manner that forward rotation of one shaft will result in reverse rotation of the other shaft.

6. A fish unsere-wing device of the character described, including: a gear case adapted to enter a well; an upper shaft projecting upwardly from said gear case, said upper shaft having a forwardly threaded connection; a lower shaft projecting downwardly from said gear case; a rearwardly threaded tap on the lower end of said low-er shaft for engaging the upper end of the fish; an anchor connected to said gear case, said anchor extending down over the upper portion of said fish and engaging a. lower part of said fish and preventing rotation of sait gear case, said anchor comprising a hollow structure having engaging means therein; and gear means operatively positioned relative to said gear case and connecting said upper and lower shafts in such a manner that forward rotation of one shaft will result in reverse rotation of the other shaft.

7. A fish unscrewing device of the character described, including: a gear case adapted to enter a well; an upper shaft projecting upwardly from said gear case, said upper shaft having a right-hand threaded connection; a lower shaft projecting downwardly from said gear case; a left-hand threaded tap on the lower end of said lower shaft for engaging the upper end of the fish; an anchor connected to said gear case, said anchor extending down over the upper portion of said fish and engaging a lower part of said fish and preventing rotation of said gear case, said anchor comprising a hollow structure having engaging means therein; and gear means operatively positioned relative to said gear case and connecting said upper and lower shafts in such a manner that forward rotation of one shaft will result in reverse rotation of the other shaft.

8. A fish unscrewing device of the character described, including: a gear ease adapted to enter a well; an upper shaft projecting upwardly from said gear ease; a lower shaft projecting downwardly from said gear case; an engager on the lower end of said lower shaft for engaging the sh; gear means operatively positioned relative to said gear case and connecting said upper and lower shafts in such a manner that forward rotation of said upper shaft will. produce rearward rotation of said lower shaft; a tubular member extending' downwardly from said gear case; inwardly projectable jaws carried by the lower end of said tubular member; and release means for releasing said jaws to enable their engagement with the exterior of the fish.

9. A fish unscrewing device of the character described, including: a gear case adapted f to enter a well; an upper shaft projecting upwardly from said gear case; a lower shaft projecting downwardly from said gear case; an engager on the lower end of said lower shaft for engaging the fish; gear means operatively positioned relative to said gear case and connecting said upper and lower shafts in such a manner that forward rotation of said upper shaft will produce rearward rota tion of said lo-wer shaft; a tubular member extending downwardly from said gear case to a point below said engager' of said lower shaft; inwardly operating gripping means carried by the lower end of said tubular member adapted to grip said fish at a point below said engager; and a slip joint in said tubular member for permitting relative movement between said gear case and said gripping means at the lower end of said tubular member.

l0. A fish unscrewing device of the character described, including: a gear case adapted to enter a well; an upper shaft projecting upwardly from said gear case; a lower shaft projecting downwardly from said gear case; an engager on the lower end of said lower shaft for engaging the fish; gear means operatively positioned relative to said gear case and connecting said upper and lower shafts in such a manner that forward rotation of said upper shaft will produce rearward rotation of said lower shaft; a tubular member extending downwardly from said gear case to a point below said engager of said lower shaft; and inwardly operating gripping means carried by the lower end of said tubular member adapted to grip said fish at a point below said engager, said gripping means comprising a tubular body having a plurality of ways inwardly inclined from bottom to top, jawsslidable in said ways, means for holding said jaws in retracted position in said ways during the lowering of the device into the well, means for releasing said jaws, and means for moving said aws upwardly in said ways so as to engage the sh.

1l. A fish unscrewing device of the character described, including: a gear case adapted to enter a well; an upper shaft projecting upwardly from said gear case; a lower shaft projecting downwardly from said gear case; an engager on the lower end of said lower shaft for engaging the fish; gear means operatively positioned relative to said gear case and connecting said upper and lower shafts in such a manner that forward rotation of said upper shaft will produce rearward rotation of said lower shaft; a tubular member extending downwardly from said gear ease to a point below saidengagerof said lower shaft; and inwardly opera-ting gripping means carried within the lower end of said tubular member adapted to grip said fish at a point below said engager, said gripping means comprising a tubular body having a plurality of ways inwardly inclined from bottom to top, jaws slidable in said ways, means for holding said jaws in retracted position in said ways during the lowering of the device into the well, means operating in response to frictional engagement with said fish when said device is moved upwardly relative to said fish for releasing said jaws, and means for moving said jaws upwardly in said ways so as to engage the fish.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 20th day of September, 1930.

RALPH A. PHILLIPS. 

